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I have a gsl22jfrebs refrigerator. The top part of the

Customer Question

freezer is warmer than the...

I have a gsl22jfrebs refrigerator. The top part of thefreezer is warmer than the bottom. I.e. everything in the bottom of the freeze AND the "crisper" drawer are frozen solid. The ice maker is filling with water but not finishing it to ice (probably the same malfunction is causing this). Also, the light isn't turning on when the freezer door is open.

This sounds like a common issue and it means that your unit is not longer defrosting in the freezer so the refrigerator is not able to steal air to cool down. You'll need to either unplug the unit for 24 hours or remove everything of the freezer and remove the lower back panel inside the freezer to defrost it with a hair dryer. Once all the frost is thawed out, the unit will start working again. To make sure the problem doesn't come back, you'll want to replace the defrost heater. GE's defrost heaters fail often because they are nothing more than a long glass light bulb. Order and replace the defrost heater at the bottom of all the frost and you should be good to go. Below is a link to the defrost heater you'll want to order and replace.

Now I did want to point out that there are a few other possibilities like the defrost timer/control board or the defrost sensor, but these rarely fail on this model and there is no way to test the heater for certain to know if it's good or not. The reason is because that the heater is glass and can get water inside of it when it fails so it will show good continuity even when it's bad sometimes. That's why the best course of action is to replace the heater since it's by far the most common problem.

If you really wanted to test the the sensor, look for the white plastic bullet at the top of the silver evaporator coils with 2 small wires going to it. You'd need to cut the wires going to the sensor and then put the sensor in ice water for 5 minutes. The resistance should be right around 16.3 kΩ. If not then the sensor would need to be replaced. I don't advise doing this test because you must cut the wires just to test it so I'd reserve this option in case the problem persists after you replace the heater.

As for the light not turning on, try replacing the bulb in case it's bad. If not, then the light switch around the front door frame isn't sending power to the light and the switch needs to be replaced.

I hope I have earned a 5 star rating. We are on the honor system here. Please remember to rate my service by selecting a star at the top or bottom of the screen before you leave today and reply back here letting me know with a rating of 1-5 stars (5 being the best). If you need anything else, just let me know. You can continue asking follow-up questions at no additional charge after rating my service if you still need assistance.

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Customer reply replied 9 months ago

When i originally noticed the problem, i gained access to the back and noticed the white fan wasn't blowing. I tried to replace it, that didn't work. i ended up replacing the main control board. This caused that fan to work again but the original problem of the top of the freezer being warmer persists. Does this info change anything?

When the fan stops working, excess frost builds up on the coils. You need to thaw out the frost with a hair dryer if you didn't (behind the lower back panel INSIDE the freezer). If you still have problems, you need to replace that fan motor because it's not spinning up to speed.

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Customer reply replied 9 months ago

i had already defrosted everything before asking these questions. i just replaced the main board, since this caused that white fan to spin up to speed again. im looking at the coils from inside the freezer. they're definitely frozen... having said this: "If you still have problems, you need to replace that fan motor because it's not spinning up to speed." Which "fan" are you referring to?

So I'm talking about the fan INSIDE the freezer. It doesn't sound like you've done anything I mentioned yet. It sounds like you've been working behind the refrigerator. You need to remove everything INSIDE the freezer and remove the lower back panel and follow my instructions. Please re-read my original instructions. Here they are once again.

QUOTE:

This sounds like a common issue and it means that your unit is not longer defrosting in the freezer so the refrigerator is not able to steal air to cool down. You'll need to either unplug the unit for 24 hours or remove everything of the freezer and remove the lower back panel inside the freezer to defrost it with a hair dryer. Once all the frost is thawed out, the unit will start working again. To make sure the problem doesn't come back, you'll want to replace the defrost heater. GE's defrost heaters fail often because they are nothing more than a long glass light bulb. Order and replace the defrost heater at the bottom of all the frost and you should be good to go. Below is a link to the defrost heater you'll want to order and replace.

CLICK HERE for heater

Now I did want to point out that there are a few other possibilities like the defrost timer/control board or the defrost sensor, but these rarely fail on this model and there is no way to test the heater for certain to know if it's good or not. The reason is because that the heater is glass and can get water inside of it when it fails so it will show good continuity even when it's bad sometimes. That's why the best course of action is to replace the heater since it's by far the most common problem.

If you really wanted to test the the sensor, look for the white plastic bullet at the top of the silver evaporator coils with 2 small wires going to it. You'd need to cut the wires going to the sensor and then put the sensor in ice water for 5 minutes. The resistance should be right around 16.3 kΩ. If not then the sensor would need to be replaced. I don't advise doing this test because you must cut the wires just to test it so I'd reserve this option in case the problem persists after you replace the heater.

And below is a link to the sensor just on the off chance you need it.

CLICK HERE for sensor

As for the light not turning on, try replacing the bulb in case it's bad. If not, then the light switch around the front door frame isn't sending power to the light and the switch needs to be replaced.

I hope I have earned a 5 star rating. We are on the honor system here. Please remember to rate my service by selecting a star at the top or bottom of the screen before you leave today and reply back here letting me know with a rating of 1-5 stars (5 being the best). If you need anything else, just let me know. You can continue asking follow-up questions at no additional charge after rating my service if you still need assistance.

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Customer reply replied 9 months ago

i haven't had any coffee today. i see what you were talking about. do you have a link to the light switch?

would it make sense to purchase these along with the defrost heater?Replacement Part for WR50X10068 Defrost Thermostat -For GE Refrigerators (AP3884317, PS1011716) $7.49General Electric WR55X10025 Refrigerator Temperature Sensor $8.97

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Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.